Virginia Health Innovation Network to debut in June

The Richmond-based Virginia Center for Health Innovation is creating on online portal to promote the exchange of information and new ideas.

The Virginia Health Innovation Network is scheduled to begin operation in June. It is designed to break down barriers and facilitate education and communication among all “players” in health care, including insurers, hospitals, physicians, patients, employers and government.

Beth A. Bortz, president and CEO of the Virginia Center for Health Innovation, describes the network as a one-stop shop for stakeholders. “There are existing sites that focus primarily on one core function whether it be: knowledge management (connecting people with the information they’re seeking or resources to turn to), ideation (serving as a platform to share new ideas, get feedback and form partnerships), or collaboration and virtual networking,” she said in a statement. “It was essential for our network to do all of the above.

“The partners who are supporting the Center come from such diverse knowledge backgrounds and have traditionally focused solely on their areas of expertise. We needed to create a vehicle through which they could gain insight into where the other partners are coming from – an employer, for example, getting to fully appreciate the perspective of a physician or hospital executive, as it relates to cost containment or wellness or education.”

Bortz envisions the network as a forum for spreading information about existing innovations, developing new ideas and discussing successes or challenges in dealing with specific issues, such as treating obesity, establishing patient-centered care and changing health benefits to encourage value-based purchasing.

The network’s content will include a variety of educational resources and tools, plus examples of innovative wellness and health-care models linked to the Center’s strategic issues, which include: